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Author Topic: Butt Plate Touchmark  (Read 5577 times)

mjm46@bellsouth.net

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Butt Plate Touchmark
« on: June 05, 2012, 07:05:28 PM »
I have a new butt plate recently purchased from TOW.
It is Touchmarked   I.B within a rectangle
Anyone know who the maker is?
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Offline G-Man

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2012, 07:25:04 PM »
If I am not mistaken that is the mark for John Bivins, who designed the hardware for his Bicentennial rifles back in the 1970s. 


http://www.digitalforsyth.org/photos/12890


As far as the current maker, I am not sure what foundry is casting Track's parts these days. 

Guy
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2012, 08:12:11 PM »
It could also be Ian Bratt.
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Offline Stophel

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2012, 08:52:24 PM »
Isn't it "Ian Pratt"?

Who is a mighty fine gunsmith, by the way.
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Online Bob Roller

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2012, 09:28:22 PM »
That touchmark is that of the late John Bivins.
The "I"an the "J" were sometimes interchanged
in bygone days. I seem to remember John marketing a ine of long rifle builders hardware and probably the moulds may still be around.

Bob Roller


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Offline G-Man

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2012, 09:39:46 PM »
They are.  I think Track used to even refer to those two buttplates as the large and small "Bivins" styles in their catalog.

Guy
« Last Edit: June 05, 2012, 09:41:45 PM by G-Man »
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Offline John Archer

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2012, 09:50:06 PM »
Quote from: Acer Saccharum on June 05, 2012, 08:12:11 PM
It could also be Ian Bratt.

Good one Acer!
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2012, 10:42:10 PM »
I. Bratt is the naughty builder, very creative iron mounted rifles, beautiful, too. His wife makes gopher-skin hunting pouches and the like. Ian makes Bratt-worst from the innards.

I do believe that touchmark was J Bivins. 

I have made a case of mistaken identity, and for this and other errors, I will pay heavily for in the afterlife.
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Offline Roger Fisher

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2012, 11:11:46 PM »
Quote from: Acer Saccharum on June 05, 2012, 10:42:10 PM
I. Bratt is the naughty builder, very creative iron mounted rifles, beautiful, too. His wife makes gopher-skin hunting pouches and the like. Ian makes Bratt-worst from the innards.

I do believe that touchmark was J Bivins. 

I have made a case of mistaken identity, and for this and other errors, I will pay heavily for in the afterlife.
Actually Ian Pratt/Brat makes the worst Brattwurst going.  Ok, Ok the Devil made me do it.    He does make the finest iron mounted long rifles going.
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Offline Don Getz

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2012, 02:42:36 AM »
That is the touchmark of John Bivins.    The hardware was designed for the Bicentennial rifle which he, and Jack Haugh
made.......nearly 200 of them.............Don
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2012, 03:07:32 AM »
Don, did you make the barrels for the John Bivins rifles? I'd like to hear more about that story sometime....
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Offline Bill of the 45th

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2012, 04:13:49 AM »
I thought it was Ian P. Ratt, Master Iron gunsmith. ;D :D ::)
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Offline b bogart

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2012, 04:20:33 AM »
I have a Getz barrel that is a "Bivins" profile. Is this a barrel for one of those rifles Don? I got it N.O.S. from a member (exmember?) here. I may be incorrect tho ::)
Maybe we should start a different thread here Tom?
« Last Edit: June 06, 2012, 04:21:49 AM by bruce bogart »
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mjm46@bellsouth.net

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2012, 02:39:04 PM »
Thanks Guys.
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Offline Don Getz

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Re: Butt Plate Touchmark
« Reply #14 on: June 06, 2012, 05:03:24 PM »
Tom/Bruce.........when we bought the Paris barrel making equipment, we also got the contract to continue making those
"Bicentennial" barrels.   They are the same as what we now call our "Dickert" barrel.   Using the equipment we got from
Paris, those barrels were basically a custom barrel.    They had to be millled to within  three thousands, plus or minus,
at five different spots on the barrel.......a real pain to make.   As I got more familiar witih kits and barrels to fit them, I
realized that those specs John wanted were alll hogwash.    If he didn't have a barrel ready when the stock was shaped,
in several days that barrel wouldn't fit the stock anyway.   Those Bicentennial barrels are heavy, and in 50 cal. I am sure
the gun had to weigh at least 9 pounds, or more..........Don
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